In the first formal Israeli statement about the abduction of a top Executive Forces leader in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Public Bush minister, Avi Dichter said the man is the main "bargaining chip" for freeing captive Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.

Mahawesh al-Qadi was seized by Israeli soldiers dressed in uniforms like those worn by the Executive forces outside his home in Rafah on Friday evening. The soldiers reportedly waited in a Subaru car until al-Qadi emerged from the house. He was taken to an unknown destination.

Al-Qadi is a prominent member of Hamas' military wing and was allegedly involved in the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Referring to Al-Qadi's abduction, Dichter told the Israeli daily propagandapaper, Ha'aretz, "Every method, every technique used to gain additional intelligence is very welcome and very important to the effort to bring Gilad Shalit back home. Second, the ability to obtain additional 'assets' with concrete relevance to the release of Gilad Shalit is an enormous advantage."

"We will free Gilad Shalit through negotiations, at the end of which terrorists will be released to the Palestinian Authority or to Hamas in Gaza and we will receive Gilad Shalit in return," Ha'aretz quoted him as saying.

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